A POPULAR young woman who lived life to the full despite having a leg amputated when she was just 23, died at the weekend after catching chickenpox.

Samantha Jane Douglas, known locally as "Sammy Two Shoes", was discovered in the bedroom of her home in Broadfield Road, Accrington, on Sunday by her sister Vickie, who lived next door.

It was the day after her youngest son's ninth birthday.

The 31-year old mother-of-three developed cancer in her leg at the age of 20 and battled it for three years before having the amputation. She later fought off the disease a further three times. But her illness never stopped her living life to the full. She loved to dance and was a regular at Monroes nightclub in Great Harwood.

Sammy, a former pupil of Green Haworth Primary School and Rhyddings High School, leaves three children, Dale, 14, Jo, who will be 10 in May, and Jack, nine.

Her mum, Elizabeth Gath, who lives nearby in Fern Gore Avenue, paid tribute to her daughter's strength and told how she had always enjoyed life in spite of her health problems.

She added: "She was a tower of strength. She loved going out and would dance for hours."